Amid all the attention on Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert, it's easy to forget Bill Haas, a former mayor and legislator who says the state needs his executive experience to resolve budget woes. "He has a plan," said supporter Jon Knutson. "He's the only one who will give you a plan instead of a bunch of pomp and circumstances."

But in a brief interview Friday morning on the GOP convention floor, Haas avoided specifics in favor of stressing "experience and knowledge" that he gained from serving in key positions on legislative committees dealing with the state budget. He said voters should avoid choosing "a CEO to run this place with no experience."